Independents at Record Levels for Good Reason

The percentage of Americans identifying as political independents increased in 2011, as is common in a non-election year, although the 40% who did so is the highest Gallup has measured, by one percentage point. More Americans continue to identify as Democrats than as Republicans, 31% to 27%. – Gallup

It’s important to remember that Independents feel forced to vote Democratic or Republican, too.

It’s rather impressive to see the fall of big two party support. The good news for Democrats is that more Independents Americans [update: mistakenly typed “Independents” – apologies] identify as Democratic, 31% to 27%.

That fact upset Rush Limbaugh out of the gate today on his radio show, who doesn’t believe it’s so.

The good news for Republicans is today the big two political parties are more competitive.

I’ve gotten a few emails about the Justice Party, so here’s a link for those of you who are curious. You can fine their platform, as well as their efforts to be relevant, which begin with being on the ballot and that’s just for starters.

Considering neither Mr. Cool or Mr. Ice, who is now down to 33% in the latest Suffolk poll in New Hampshire (35% in PPP), inspire much enthusiasm, we just might be on the runway for a low turnout year in November if something doesn’t dramatically change.

I’m hoping things change, because people’s votes matter, especially when they decide they want to change a system that isn’t working for the middle class any longer, which begins with our two corporate, Wall Street political parties whose purpose revolves around servicing the elite and keeping them and their supporting groups employed.

As an aside, if Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum and Republican conservative primary voters end up defeating the juggernaut that is Mitt Romney, something I still don’t believe is possible. While I don’t agree with a single Republican policy, I will have a lot more respect for the right-wing, whose Tea Party faction was also able to hand Obama and the Democrats a historic defeat in the 2010 midterms. The result of which was unprecedented power turned back to the right in state legislatures across the country, which manifested an all out assault on unions, women’s freedoms and the middle class, as well as a hand in redistricting, which is no small matter.

The ire with which the right still remembers John McCain’s 2008 win is palpable when you listen to the right-wing and their barkers, led by Rush Limbaugh. Many have said they’d rather lose with a conservative than with Mitt Romney. Erick Erickson is as good a barometer as there is out there this year. He’s saying no to big government conservative Rick Santorum, pushing for Rick Perry first, then Newt, though he will back Romney if he must. That he’s backing Perry first reveals all you need to know about the right wing.

I have to agree, Taylor, although it could also be that you meant to type “Americans”, but instead typed “Independents”. I make that kind of mistake rather often, and don’t always catch it in the editing phase.

In fact, that poll says that if leanings are included, Americans are evenly divided right now, according to Gallup, 45 – 45. That’s the last chart in the poll report, BTW.

PRINCETON, NJ — Americans’ political ideology at the midyear point of 2011 looks similar to 2009 and 2010, with 41% self-identifying as conservative, 36% as moderate, and 21% as liberal.

But when it comes to the ever crucial bloc of independent voters, Romney trumps Obama by a 12-point margin – 53 percent to 41 percent. Independents in 2012 could be especially critical in tipping the scales in such battleground states as Florida, Ohio, and Virginia, all of which went for Obama last time around but have since been deemed toss-ups.

Fair enough, I accept the logic of the posting rule. I’m posting off an IPad today and it’s not particularly friendly for allowing the link to be copied without repetitively relaunching the link….which gets to be frustrating. The Princeton byline is Gallup this past August. The independent lean survey was Pew around November.